Dispenser for particulated materials



Feb. 25, 1964 L. v. DE LUCA DISPENSER FOR PARTICULATED MATERIALS Filed June 29, 1962 m IIAIMI'VIIA/IIIVII United tates Patent ()fiice 3,1222% Patented Feb. 25, 1984.-

3,122,236 DZSEENSER FGR PARTHIULATED h iATE-Rlfil Louis V. De Luca, 2445 W. 2nd St, Brooklyn, Filed .iune 29, B52, Ser. No. 2%,456

4 Claims. (ill. 222-485) This invention relates generally to the field of dispensers for particulated materials, and more particularly to an improved form thereof ideally adapted to be manufactured from synthetic resinous materials and having a minimum number of parts permitting convenient assembly and disassembly. While suitable for the dispensing of a wide variety of materials, the invention has particular application as a dispenser for grated cheese and other materials tending to agglomerate during use, and which will periodically necessitate the disassembly of the device for cleaning. Devices of this type are generally known in the art, and the invention lies in the specific details of construction permitting such ready assembly and disassembly, both during the initial manufacture thereof and subsequent use.

It is among the principal objects of the present invention to provide an improved cheese dispenser of the class described in which the cost of fabrication may be of a low order, permitting consequent wide sale, distribution and use.

Another object of the invention lies in the provision of an improved grated cheese dispenser which may be readily manipulated using the fingers of only a single band.

A further object of the invention lies in the provision of an improved grated cheese dispenser which may be conveniently disassembled by those possessing only ordinary skill, and without resort to special tools, whereby the device may be maintained in a sanitary condition at all times.

A feature of the invention lies in the fact that the disclosed embodiment permits the assembly of the device using only four synthetic resinous molded parts and a single machined part which may be formed as a screw machine operation.

These objects and features, as well as other incidental ends and advantages, will more fully appear in the progress of the following disclosure, and be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing, to which reference will be made in the specification, similar reference characters have been employed to designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

FZGURE 1 is an exploded view in perspective of an embodiment of the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary view in perspective showing the lower portion of FIGURE 1 in assembled condition.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary sectional view as seen from the plane 3-3 in FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a similar sectional view showing certain of the component parts in altered relative condition.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary sectional view as seen from the plane 5-S in FIGURE 2.

In accordance with the invention, the device, generally indicated by reference character It comprises broadly: a main body element 11, a top closure element 12, a perforated bottom wall element 13, and a gate element 14.

The main body element 11 is preferably formed integrally as a single extrusion of synthetic resinous material, and includes side wall members 17, 18, 19 and 26, which are bounded by a continuous upper edge 21 and a continuous lower edge 22.

The top element 12 may be of any desired configuration, as, for example, that illustrated which includes a curved top wall member 25, side wall members 26, 27,

2 23 and 29. A plurality of engaging tongues 30, 31, 32 and 33 selectively engage the inner surface of the main body element 11 adjacent the continuous upper edge 21 thereof.

The perforated bottom wall element 13 is also preferably formed as a single injection molding, and includes a bottom wall 3'7 having a plurality of slotted perforations 38 therein, and side walls 39, 40, 4-1 and 42 which extend downwardly from the plane of the bottom wall 37, and which provide means for resting the device upon a table or other horizontal support (not shown).

Extending downwardly from the undersurface 43 of the bottom wall 37 is a housing 44, having a first generally rectangularly-shaped member 45 having a recess therein, and a tubularly-shaped member 46, the member 46 being separated from the member 45 by a generally vertically disposed septum 47 having a circular bore 43. The tubularly-shaped member 46 has a continuous bore 49 therein, which extends through the side wall &2, the bore :8 being of a diameter substantially smaller than that of the bore 49.

The gate element 14, as best seen in FIGURE 1 in the drawing, includes a gate member 52 of generally planar configuration having a plurality of. elongated fingers 53 which are selectively alignable with the slotted perfora tions 38 in the bottom wall 37 in well-known manner. The fingers 53 are interconnected by an elongated central portion 54. Depending from the lower surface 55 of the gate member 52 is a rectangular projection 56 bounded by side surfaces 57, 58; and end surfaces 59 and 6d, the distance between the end surfaces 59 and 69 being less than that at the corresponding surfaces of the rectangularlyshaped member 45 so as to permit limited translational movement of the projection 55 and the gate member 52. The projection 56 includes a threaded bore 61, the principal axis of which lies parallel to the plane of the gate member 52, and selectively abuts the bore 48 of the septum 47. Disposed within the bore 49 is a manuallyengageable push-button member 62, which may be formed as a screw machine part, the same including an enlarged portion 63 which extends outwardly of the wall 42, and a shank portion 64 having a threaded end 65 thereon engageable within the bore 61. Surrounding the shank portion 64 is a coil spring 66, a first end of which contacts the septum 47, and a second end of which contacts the enlarged portion 63 to resiliently urge the member 62 outwardly, in which position the fingers 53 overlie the perforations 38.

From a consideration of the above disclosure and accompanying drawing, it will be apparent that the gate element 1 .4 is maintained in operative engagement with the bottom wall element 13 solely by the interconnection of the threaded end as within the bore 61. With continued use, grated cheese will tend to agglomerate in the perforations 38, and periodically a cleaning operation must be performed. This is accomplished by merely rotating the member 62 to disengage the threaded end 65 with the bore 61, following which the entire gate element 14 will be readily disassembled. Aft-er separating the metallic member 62 and the spring 66 from the gate member 52, the remaining synthetic resinous parts, including the elements 11 to 13, inclusive, and the gate member 52, may be conveniently Washed and dried, following which the device may be again reassembled. As mentioned hereinabove, no tools are necessary to accomplish this operation, and reassembly is accomplished by dropping the gate member 52 through the opening formed by the upper edge 21, wherein the projection 56 falls within the housing 44 to be maintained again therein by engagement of the threaded end 65 therewith.

I wish it to be understood that I do not consider the inareas vention limited to the precise details of structure shown and set forth in this specification, for obvious modifications will occur to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains.

I claim:

1. A dispenser device of the class described comprising, a container having a perforated bottom wall, said wall including an upwardly disposed surface, a housing having a first portion including a recess communicating with said upwardly disposed surface, and a second portion including a tubular bore extending downwardly from said bottom wall, there being a septum separating said first and second portions, said septum having a bore therein of diameter less than that of said tubular bore, a gate member slidably disposed upon said upper surface of said bottom wall, said gate member having means selectively overlying the perforations in said bottom wall and movable over said upper surface, said gate member having a projection thereon extending downwardly into said recess in said first portion of said housing, said projection having a threaded bore therein, the axis of which lies parallel to the plane of said bottom wall, a manually-engageable member having a threaded end portion extending through said bore in said septum and engageahle within said threaded bore in said projection, whereby said threaded engagement serves to maintain said projection slidably disposed within said recess in said housing.

2. A dispenser device of the class described comprising, a container having a perforated bottom wall, said wall including an upwardly disposed surface, a housing having a first portion including a recess communicating with said upwardly disposed surface, and a second portion including a tubular bore extending downwardly from said bottom wall, there being a septum separating said first and second portions, said septum having a bore therein of diameter less than that of said tubular bore, a gate member slidably disposed upon said upper surface of said bottom /all, said gate member having means selectively overlying the perforations in said bottom wall and movable over said upper surface, said gate member having a projection thereon extending downwardly into said recess in said first portion of said housing, said projection having a threaded bore therein, the axis of which lies parallel to the plane of said bottom Wall, a manually-engageable member having a threaded end portion extending through said bore in said septum and engageable within said threaded bore in said projection, whereby said threaded engagement serves to maintain said projection slidably isposed within said recess in said housing, and resilient means surrounding said manually-engageable means, and serving to resiliently urge said projection to a position wherein said gate member closes the perforations in said bottom wall.

3. A dispenser device of the class described comprising, a container having a perforated bottom wall, said wall including an upwardly disposed surface, a housing having a first portion including a recess communicating with said upwardly disposed surface, and a second portion including a tubular bore extending downwardly from said bottom wall, there being a septum separating said first and second portions, said septum having a bore herein of diameter less than that of said tubular bore, a gate member slidably disposed upon said upper surface of said bottom wall, said gate member having means selectively overlying the perforations in said bottom wall and movable over said upper surface, said gate member having a projection thereon extending downwardly into said recess in said first portion of said housing, said projection having a threaded bore therein, the axis of which lies parallel to the plane of said bottom wall, a push-button member having a threaded end portion extending through said bore in said septum and engageable within said threaded bore in said projection, whereby said threaded engagement serves to maintain said projection slidably disposed within said recess in said housin 4. A dispenser device of the class described comprising, a container having a perforated bottom Wall, said wall including an upwardly disposed surface, a housing having a first portion including a recess communicating with said upwardly disposed surface, and a second portion including a tubular bore extending downwardly from said bottom wall, there being a septum separating said first and second portions, said septum having a bore therein of diameter less than that of said tubular bore, a gate member slidably disposed upon said upper surface of said bottom wall, said gate member having means selectively overlying the perforations in said bottom wall and movable over said upper surface, said gate member having a projection thereon extending downwardly into said recess in said first portion of said housing, said projection having a threaded bore therein, the axis of which lies parallel to the plane of said bottom wall, a push-button member having a threaded end portion extending through said bore in said septum and engageable Within said threaded bore in said projection, whereby said threaded engagement serves to maintain said proiection slidably disposed within said recess in said housing, and resilient means surrounding said push-button member, and serving to resiliently urge said projection to a position wherein said gate member closes the perforations in said bottom wall.

Gels Dec. 10, 1935 V 

1. A DISPENSER DEVICE OF THE CLASS DESCRIBED COMPRISING, A CONTAINER HAVING A PERFORATED BOTTOM WALL, SAID WALL INCLUDING AN UPWARDLY DISPOSED SURFACE, A HOUSING HAVING A FIRST PORTION INCLUDING A RECESS COMMUNICATING WITH SAID UPWARDLY DISPOSED SURFACE, AND A SECOND PORTION INCLUDING A TUBULAR BORE EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM SAID BOTTOM WALL, THERE BEING A SEPTUM SEPARATING SAID FIRST AND SECOND PORTIONS, SAID SEPTUM HAVING A BORE THEREIN OF DIAMETER LESS THAN THAT OF SAID TUBULAR BORE, A GATE MEMBER SLIDABLY DISPOSED UPON SAID UPPER SURFACE OF SAID BOTTOM WALL, SAID GATE MEMBER HAVING MEANS SELECTIVELY OVERLYING THE PERFORATIONS IN SAID BOTTOM WALL AND MOVABLE OVER SAID UPPER SURFACE, SAID GATE MEMBER HAVING A PROJECTION THEREON EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY INTO SAID RECESS IN SAID FIRST PORTION OF SAID HOUSING, SAID PROJECTION HAVING A THREADED BORE THEREIN, THE AXIS OF WHICH LIES PARALLEL TO THE PLANE OF SAID BOTTOM WALL, A MANUALLY-ENGAGEABLE MEMBER HAVING A THREADED END PORTION EXTENDING THROUGH SAID BORE IN SAID SEPTUM AND ENGAGEABLE WITHIN SAID THREADED BORE IN SAID PROJECTION, WHEREBY SAID THREADED ENGAGEMENT SERVES TO MAINTAIN SAID PROJECTION SLIDABLY DISPOSED WITHIN SAID RECESS IN SAID HOUSING. 